Jared Crick is leaving the past in the past. His football focus is on the present and future.

Would he have been drafted higher than the fourth round, where he was selected 126th overall by the Texans, had he not missed most of his senior season with a torn pectoral muscle? Probably. But that was then.

“I’m in the NFL and on a team,” Crick said. “That’s the most important thing. Now I’ve just got to take advantage of my opportunity. I figure if I do that, everything is going to play out for itself.”

That opportunity is to contribute to what was one of the NFL’s best defenses a year ago.

Crick had the look of an early-round draft pick after his junior season at Nebraska. He was a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 selection after recording 91/2 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

The injury cut short what he expected to be a strong senior season and apparently hindered his draft stock, considering he was available for the Texans to snag on the draft’s final day.

Through nine sessions of organized team activities, Crick has practiced mostly in a backup role, but he’s learning from the veterans who have been there before in an effort to put himself in position to contribute in the fall.

“(I’ve been) learning from Antonio (Smith), J.J. (Watt), Shaun (Cody), all those guys, how they work and really just getting in my groove so that come training camp, we can go with no speed bumps,” Crick said. “Right now I’m just learning and watching what they’ve been doing.”

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said the 6-4, 276-pound Crick has a good chance to contribute in 2012.

“He’s an effort player right now,” Kubiak said. “We play a rotation defense. He’s got an excellent chance to be a part of that rotation. He’s got to get a little bigger than he has since he’s been here. But I like what I see.”

Taking notes

Crick said learning from veterans like Smith and Cody and second-year stalwart Watt has helped.

“It’s awesome,” Crick said. “There’s no other way to put it. … All these guys are seasoned vets, and they’ve been successful throughout their careers. So I’m just seeing how they approach things not just during practice but also during meetings, how they prepare and all that kind of stuff. … It’s a different level up here; that’s for sure. It’s very cool having those guys to learn from.”

Texans defensive line coach Bill Kollar has been demanding, according to Crick.

“He’s a coach who’s not going to settle for anything less than perfection,” Crick said. “That’s the way it’s got to be, especially on the defensive line.

“Everything that I’ve learned from coach Kollar has helped me tremendously, coming into practices and that kind of thing. He’s a tough guy to work for, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Playing the cards

Crick doesn’t feel sorry for himself over how his Nebraska career finished. He’d rather make the best of the hand he was dealt.

“You hit some road bumps every now and then, and that was one of them, one of mine,” he said. “You’ve got to roll with the punches, and I figure if I take that mentality into anything in life, I’m going to come out OK.”